1) Field
The general inventive concept relates to microfluidic device initialization methods, microfluidic device initialization apparatuses and microfluidic device packages, and more particularly, to methods and apparatuses for initializing on and off states of a valve using a polymer film in a microfluidic device, and microfluidic device packages in which on and off states of a valve are easily and efficiently initialized.
2) Description of the Related Art
A clinical or environment-related sample is generally analyzed by performing a series of biochemical, chemical and/or mechanical processes. Recently, technologies for diagnosing or monitoring a biological sample have been developed. Due to high accuracy and sensitivity requirements, a molecular diagnosis method based on a nucleic acid is increasingly and broadly being used to diagnose infectious diseases and cancers to study pharmacogenomics, as well as to develop new medicines.
Microfluidic devices are sometimes used to analyze a sample in a simple and precise manner. The microfluidic device typically includes a thin substrate in which sample inlets, sample outlets, microfluidic channels and reaction chambers are formed, and thus various tests may be simply performed on one sample. In the microfluidic device, valves may be included in the microfluidic channels to provide a sample and a reagent at predetermined locations in the microfluidic device. The valves are generally formed using a thin polymer film. However, when a microfluidic device includes the valves formed using the thin polymer film, on and off states of the valves needs to be precisely and accurately controlled.